Obama to nominate new DoD personnel chief

Jul. 18, 2013 - 07:45PM
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President Obama will nominate Jessica Wright to be the Pentagonís personnel chief, according to an announcement from the White House.

Wright has served in the job for more than seven months as acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, after predecessor Erin Conaton resigned.

Wright was confirmed on May 24, 2012, as assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs.

She retired as a major general in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 2010, having served as adjutant general of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and commander of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard since 2004.

She came to the Pentagon in 2010 to serve as deputy assistant secretary of defense for manpower and personnel before being confirmed for the reserve affairs post, and later taking on the role of acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness.

The personnel and readiness directorate, which has oversight of a broad range of programs directly affecting service members and their families, has undergone significant turmoil in recent years, with eight leaders at the helm in the last 4 1/2 years, counting those who served in an acting capacity between permanent secretaries.